By Shaina McLawrence
Staten Island Advance
NEW YORK— Brianna Sison was known for her unwavering dedication to helping others, both in her role as an emergency medical technician and in the lives of friends, family, and even strangers.
“She was always the first one to volunteer to assist anyone whenever they [were] in need, 24 hours a day. It’s really difficult to convey how much she gave to not just her family and friends, but to the random people that she’s met along the way,” her father, Todd David , told the Advance/SILive.com. “She always has been and always will be the kindest, most generous person you could ever meet.”
Now, her loved ones are in deep mourning: Sison, 25, of Sunnyside, died Oct. 10, following a six-month battle with cancer.
Sison was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer that typically affects children and teenagers but can also affect adults. A person can develop rhabdomyosarcoma anywhere in the body, but it usually affects muscles in the arms, legs, head and neck, and abdomen, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Each year, between 400 and 500 people in the United States receive a diagnosis of rhabdomyosarcoma.
Sison, who served with North Shore Rescue Squad, Staten Island University Hospital, and Richmond University Medical Center, was not only skillful and dedicated, but compassionate, her friends and family told the Advance/SILive.com.
“She was the light of everybody’s world, she always had a smile on her face,” Nicholas Portera, Sison’s best friend said. “Despite any challenges that she had, she always looked out and cared for others.”
Sison’s dad concurred, saying that his world has been dulled and colors are no longer radiant without his “little ray of sunshine.”
“I’m devastated everyday, it’s definitely like I lost my heart, my soul,” David said through tears. “It is extremely difficult to move on right now.”
Known for her gentle spirit and unwavering professionalism, Sison quickly became a cherished member of Staten Island’s EMS family after beginning her career in emergency medicine in June 2020. The following year, Sison joined the North Shore Rescue Squad, where her impact was immediate and lasting.
“She’s always a ray of sunshine, a hard worker, dedicated worker,” said Portera, who quickly became great friends with Sison through work. “She became an EMT during the (coronavirus) pandemic and started volunteering with Volunteer Heart Ambulance when she was 16 years old.”
Award-winning EMS worker
Sison, a huge Disney fan, made it her mission in life to live by the promise of ohana, made popular by the 2002 Disney cult classic, “Lilo & Stitch.” In the movie, the titular character Lilo famously says, “Ohana means family and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.”
The concept of ohana was central to Sison’s life, said friends and family, and she extended this value to include not just those close to her, but also to those she tended to as an EMT.
Her strong work ethic and innate dedication to helping people led her to becoming an award-winning EMS worker, having responded to over 3,500 calls in her five years of service.
“She would always take every available shift, whether or not she was scheduled for it…every job she was more than happy to assist and to volunteer for,” David recalled. “Her work ethic made her go above and beyond. She was not looking to prove anything to anyone. That was just our family’s values.”
Embraced life with passion and joy
In addition to her service as an EMT, Brianna was also academically accomplished. She was an only child who attended St. Christopher’s for elementary school in Grand City.
For her secondary education, she went to the College of Staten Island High School for International Studies in New Springville, where she distinguished herself by graduating with honors in 2018, according to Portera.
Sison embraced life’s experiences with great passion and joy. She was an avid concertgoer, having attended around 20 shows in the year following the pandemic lockdown with Portera.
Her diverse musical tastes included artists like Tate McCray, the Jonas Brothers, Tyler Hubbard, and Jason Aldean.
She was also a self-proclaimed “foodie” who loved exploring new restaurants and trying different dishes.
Recently, Sison also began to build complicated Lego Disney and race car sets.
As a child, Sison loved going trick-or-treating for Halloween with her dad. She was always thrilled to dress as a Disney princess for Halloween.
“She had this absolute love for Disney princesses, David recalled through tears.
Supporting Sison’s Family
In the wake of her diagnosis, fellow EMTs launched a fundraiser to support her and her family, selling bracelets and T-shirts to raise donations.
A GoFundMe fundraiser was started for Sison and her family. As of this writing, the fundraiser has raised $31,501 of its $40,000 goal. The fundraiser can be found by visiting gofundme.com and searching “Please help raise funds for Brianna and her family ASAP.”
Sison’s visitation will take place on Wednesday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m., and on Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m.
Her funeral service will take place on Thursday at 6 p.m. at Matthew Funeral Home and Cremation Services located on 2508 Victory Blvd., in Willowbrook.
Those interested in supporting Sison’s family may send sunflowers, her favorite flower, to the funeral home or donate to the American Cancer Society in her memory.
The EMS community is also encouraged to attend Sison’s services in uniform to honor her life, show solidarity and support for her family.
“We really appreciate the generosity that everyone has shown. It’s been definitely overwhelming during this difficult time,” her dad said. “Brianna was special, not just to me, but to everyone that she knew.”
Sison is survived by her mother, Aimee, and father Todd.
© 2025 Staten Island Advance, N.Y..
Visit www.silive.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
